Data Protection

How we use your personal information

This privacy notice explains what information Downing Street Group Practice holds about you, why we hold that information and how that information may be used. The healthcare professionals who provide you with care maintain records about your health and any treatment or care you have received previously (e.g. NHS Trust, GP Surgery, Walk-in clinic, etc.). These records help to provide you with the best possible healthcare.

NHS health records may be electronic, on paper or a mixture of both, and we use a combination of working practices and technology to ensure that your information is kept confidential and secure. Records which this GP Practice hold about you may include the following information:

Any contact the surgery has had with you, such as appointments, clinic visits, emergency appointments, etc.

Notes and reports about your health

Details about your treatment and care

Results of investigations such as laboratory tests, x-rays etc

Relevant information from other health professionals, relatives or those who care for you to ensure you receive the best possible care

Your records are used to facilitate the care you receive. Information held about you may be used to help protect the health of the public and to help us manage the NHS. Information may be used within the GP practice for clinical audit to monitor the quality of the service provided.

Some of this information will be held centrally and used for statistical purposes. Where we do this, we take strict measures to ensure that individual patients cannot be identified. Sometimes your information may be requested to be used for research purposes – the surgery will always gain your consent before releasing the information for this purpose.

How do we ensure your records are held confidentiality?

We are committed to protecting your privacy and will only use information collected lawfully in accordance with:

Data Protection Act 2018

General Data Protection Regulations 2018

Human Rights Act 1998

Common Law Duty of Confidentiality

Health and Social Care Act 2012

NHS Codes of Confidentiality

Information Security and Records Management

Information: To Share or Not to Share Review

Every member of staff who works for an NHS organisation has a legal obligation to keep information about you confidential.

We will only ever use or pass on information about you if others involved in your care have a genuine need for it. We will not disclose your information to any third party without your permission unless there are exceptional circumstances (i.e. life or death situations), where the law requires information to be passed on and in accordance with the new information sharing principle following Dame Fiona Caldicott’s information sharing review (Information: To share or not to share) where “The duty to share information can be as important as the duty to protect patient confidentiality.”

This means that health and social care professionals should have the confidence to share information in the best interests of their patients within the framework set out by the Caldicott principles. They should be supported by the policies of their employers, regulators and professional bodies.

Cookies

You can be assured this website does not use cookies to track your activity online.

My Surgery Website Limited does not set first party cookies on this website containing any personal data unless specifically instructed to do so by the user. For example, if a user requests to be remembered on a form then a cookie is set to retain the form data for next time. The Web Site uses third-party Cookies to collect anonymous traffic data about your use of this website. This information is stored by Google and subject to their privacy policy, which can be viewed here: http://www.google.com/privacy.html. Google Analytics collects information such as pages you visit on this site, the browser and operating system you use and time spent viewing pages. The purpose of this information is to help us improve the site for future visitors. These cookies are not used to track you or your activity but if you do not wish these cookies to be stored on your computer, disable cookies in your browser settings. You may delete Cookies at any time. See the help in your internet browser to find out how to delete your cookies.

Change of Details

It is important that you tell the practice if any of your details such as your name or address have changed or if any of your details such as date of birth is incorrect in order for this to be amended. You have a responsibility to inform us of any changes so your record is accurate and up to date.

You have the right to object to our sharing your data in these circumstances but we have an overriding responsibility to do what is in your best interests. Please see below.

We are required by Articles in the General Data Protection Regulations to provide you with the information in the following 9 subsections.

1) Data Controller contact details

Downing Street Group Practice

4, Downing Street

Farnham, Surrey

GU9 7PA

Tel.: 01252 716226

2) Data Protection Officer contact details

Annette Clayson

07980 976748

Annette.clayson1@nhs.net

3) Purpose of the processing

Direct Care is care delivered to the individual alone, most of which is provided in the surgery. After a patient agrees to a referral for direct care elsewhere, such as a referral to a specialist in a hospital, necessary and relevant information about the patient, their circumstances and their problem will need to be shared with the other healthcare workers, such as specialist, therapists, technicians etc. The information that is shared is to enable the other healthcare workers to provide the most appropriate advice, investigations, treatments, therapies and or care.

4) Lawful basis for processing

The processing of personal data in the delivery of direct care and for providers’ administrative purposes in this surgery and in support of direct care elsewhere is supported under the following Article 6 and 9 conditions of the GDPR:

Article 6(1)(e) ‘…necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority…’.

Article 9(2)(h) ‘necessary for the purposes of preventative or occupational medicine for the assessment of the working capacity of the employee, medical diagnosis, the provision of health or social care or treatment or the management of health or social care systems and services...”

We will also recognise your rights established under UK case law collectively known as the “Common Law Duty of Confidentiality”*

5) Recipient or categories of recipients of the processed data

The data will be shared with Health and care professionals and support staff in this surgery and at hospitals, diagnostic and treatment centres who contribute to your personal care. We are currently preparing detailed privacy notices for each of the ways in which we use your information. These will be available in the practice and on the website.

6) Rights to object

You have the right to object to some or all the information being processed under Article 21. Please contact the Data Controller or the practice. You should be aware that this is a right to raise an objection, that is not the same as having an absolute right to have your wishes granted in every circumstance.

7) Right to access and correct

You have the right to access the data that is being shared and have any inaccuracies corrected. There is no right to have accurate medical records deleted except when ordered by a court of Law. Your request may be made either verbally or in writing to the practice.

8) Retention period

The data will be retained in line with the law and national guidance. https://digital.nhs.uk/article/1202/Records-Management-Code-of-Practice-for-Health-and-Social-Care-2016

or speak to the practice.

9) Right to Complain.

If you are happy for your data to be extracted and used for the purposes described in this privacy notice then you do not need to do anything. If you have any concerns about how your data is shared then please contact the practice. Please contact the Practice Manager in the first instance: Suzanne Nicholls Tel. : 01252 716226